Knock in the Woods
by Frelise
Summary: Nick is the son to a prestigious lawyer and submissive housewife; what happens when fate - or his dog, as it so happens - brings him to find a boy living in the woods owned by his family?
1. Chapter 1

**Author Notes**: Jeff's history was hugely inspired by Tohru's from Fruits Basket. This is starting off during the summer by the way, so keep in mind they aren't going to school just yet. Reviews are hugely appreciated by the way... I'm clearly not a writer, so it really helps motivate me to do it when I know people are interested in the story. :)

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><p><strong>J<strong>eff Sterling was not good with things involving his hands or being 'outdoorsy'. In truth, he'd much rather be inside doing schoolwork or practicing piano over getting his hands dirty, but reality didn't seem to give a flying flip about his preferences. So here he was… somewhere in the middle of a forest just outside of town with a mass of poles, fabric, and whatever-else at his feet.

He'd been in this position for the better part of an hour; the manual he'd brought with had somehow managed to slip out of his bag during his trek here, and now he was stuck trying to figure out how to pitch a tent with absolutely no guidance.

Needless to say it wasn't going well.

With a frustrated groan, he knelt beside the heap that was his tent to inspect what had caused it to collapse this time. "This is _hopeless_," he muttered, toeing the canvas to reveal the mess of poles and stakes underneath. Heaving a loud sigh (one of many since stopping here to set up) he bent over to separate the supplied before beginning anew.

Hours passed by in a blur while he worked, and by the time he finally had the darn thing upright (albeit barely; the thing teetered at the slightest movement), nightfall was fast approaching. He suspected he should really try to re-assemble it better, but he was exhausted. His hands were hurting, his back was aching, and his feet were sore. To sum it up he felt like one giant bruise. Manual labor wasn't something he was accustomed to, and he was on the brink of falling over if he didn't get a break soon.

And so he left the tent as it was, carefully climbing in with his over-packed knapsack and crumpling into a ball in the center. "I have never been so tired in my life," he murmured, his eyelids fluttering closed as he began to drift into sleep.

**-X-**

**N**ick Duval sat at the dining room table, his elbow residing on the table with his face resting in the palm of his hand. His father sat on the opposite side, newspaper spread open in front of him with a cup of steaming coffee clutched in his hand. Nick's eyes were barely open, and he wished he could just go back to bed… it's not like he had school or anything.

But that's not how his father saw it. According to dear old dad, he was 'being a lazy good for nothing slacker' and 'a Duval rises with the sun and gets a head start on the day'. So here he was… up with the sun or whatever… with nothing to do. Because seriously, what did his father expect him to do? They had a maid for cleaning, school was out which meant no homework, and he was only 15 so it's not like he had a job.

"Nick, elbow off the table. Were you raised in a barn?" His mother chided, giving her son a disapproving look as she entered the room. She dipped down briefly to place a kiss on her son's forehead before sinking into the vacant chair between her boys.

Without replying, Nick moved his arm off, settling instead to face plant on the glass surface with a grunt of boredom. His father's lip twitched slightly in annoyance, one eye peaking over at the drowsy boy sitting across from him. "Son, it's nearly 8am. You can't possibly be this tired."

"I'm a teenager, I'm _always_ tired," Nick mumbled grouchily, not bothering to move his face as he spoke. Mr. Duval rolled his eyes, his wife nudging the untouched glass of orange juice closer to Nick to drink. "Perhaps eating some breakfast will help wake you up. How do pancakes sound?" She asked encouragingly, a small smile gracing her face.

Nick just groaned in response. He didn't want the damn juice and he wasn't even hungry. Without looking, Nick could feel a fiery glare directed at him from his father. "If you aren't going to eat, I suggest you take a walk. When you get back here I expect you to be using your free time _wisely_."

'_Well._ _So much for Call of Duty with Wes and David later,_' he thought bitterly. Nick reluctantly sat up, his vision greeted by the sight of his mother smoothing out the cloth covering the table while his father resumed reading the paper. Neither of them were focusing on Nick any more, and he took that as his sign to leave.

15 minutes later found Nick heading outside, jacket and sneakers donned and a leash gripped loosely in his hand. His dog, a playful golden retriever, barked impatiently as he nipped at the leash, his way of telling Nick to hurry the hell up. Nick smiled fondly at the animal, picking up his pace for the dog to guide the way into the forest that surrounded his family home. "Jeez Pix, what's the rush?" he laughed, his bad mood quickly deteriorating as he was pulled promptly along.

He knew his father had only suggested a walk to get him to wake up properly, but part of him pretended that the actual reason was that he knew his son loved walking. Nick had mentioned it enough throughout the years anyway, but if he knew his Dad than he doubted his father had ever paid attention during the times he'd told him so and if he did, he probably hadn't considered it important enough to remember.

Regardless, the fresh air and the peaceful atmosphere was easily putting him at ease.

**-X-**

"_Jeff, sweetheart, I know you're upset but… honey, I just can't make it. My boss has me working late, and if I leave now-"_

"_Don't, it... it doesn't even matter. I have to go." _

_Jeff hung up before his mother could say another word. No 'I'm sorry', no 'good luck', not even an 'I love you'. He had been looking forward to this performance since the start of the school year, and he had asked his mom time and time again that she would, without a doubt, be there. She _promised_. _

_Why was he surprised she'd let him down? He shouldn't be; his father had done it enough in the past that he should have expected it. Should have prepared for it, even._

_He knew he was being selfish and wrong – his mother always did the best she could, and deep down he understood that. She was a single mother trying to keep a house maintained and the fridge stocked, not to mention the ridiculous expenses of his private school. If her job required her presence, she couldn't very well just up and leave without getting into trouble… but this was the first time he'd gotten to sing a solo and he wanted so much for her to be there. He was allowed to be petty and angry right now, and fair or not he wanted her to know how upset this was making him._

_When the curtains lifted, their concert went without a hitch. When it was his turn to step forward and sing, he had a moment of hope as his eyes scanned the crowd, half expecting her to be there, beaming at him and looking so proud… but she wasn't. Of course not. She told him she couldn't make it, but he just hadn't believed it entirely. _

_When it ended, he smiled at his fellow members, accepting the claps on the back and the congratulations with mock enthusiasm. He left the auditorium feeling hollow. Now that several hours had passed, guilt was settling in his gut. His mom was probably devastated she's missed this, because as thrilled he had been about his solo, she'd been twice as much. At every opportunity she'd never failed to brag to her friends or colleagues, telling anyone who would listen about how talented her Jeffrey was._

_Without sparing another minute, he had dug his cell phone out and called her work. He would apologize, tell her how well it went and reassure her she could be there for the next one._

"_Hello, this is Westerville Bank, how may I help you today?"_

"_Hi Amy! Can I talk to my mom please?"_

"_Oh, Jeff! Hi hunny. Your mom isn't here; she took off two hours ago to go see you perform. Isn't she there?" _

"_S-she did?" He felt warmth spreading throughout his body. He knew she'd come, she wouldn't miss it for the world! But… wait…_

"_She's not here though. I mean, I haven't seen her…"_

**S**ounds of chirping and rippling water met his ears when consciousness started to return to him. Jeff opened his eyes slowly and stared up at the roof of his tent, grateful that it hadn't collapsed onto him during the night. It was a small blessing, but one he was extremely thankful for. Things had not been going in his favor since the start of November, and he would gladly take what good he could get. Brushing off the remnants of his memory-turned-dream, he sat up from his position on the floor, wincing at the crick in his neck from having used his lumpy backpack as a pillow.

Yawning, he allowed his limbs to uncurl and stretch, taking care not to perturb the tent's walls before tentatively climbing out the 'door'. His morning was spent getting to know his new home; the stream wasn't too far off, there were plenty of trees surrounding his tent to keep from prying eyes, and by now he was familiar enough with the way to town that it was unlikely to get lost.

Jeff had enough money saved up for the time being to afford food and other small luxuries, but it was only a matter of time before that ran out. He had no idea what he would do when he couldn't afford to buy things anymore, but that was a bridge he would cross when he got to it. He ate a quick bowl of cereal (no milk) and a banana before heading over to the stream.

'_Okay, you can do this_,' he told himself reassuringly, eyeing the rushing water nervously. He swallowed heavily before turning his gaze to the foliage nearby. It was silly to think anyone would be out wandering the woods this early (right?) but he felt extremely embarrassed to be taking a bath in the little river.

A handful of minutes passed by in a similar manner – his eyes roaming from the water to the trees and back until finally he started to peel clothing off. "God, this is pathetic. " He was speaking to no one, but the gesture of talking helped distract him as he stripped down to his boxers.

Grabbing the shampoo first, he bent over the water and began to scrub the hair product into his scalp. He was just finishing rinsing the conditioner out when shouting reached his ears. Jeff froze, his hand wrapped around the bar of soap with a deer-in-headlights look. The voice was getting closer, but before he could get his brain to start working a blur of golden fur shot out from the trees and barreled straight into him. Yelping in shock, he was knocked over (his sole bar of soap flying out of his hand and drifting away down the river) onto his back in the shallow water with a barking dog on his chest.

Spluttering from the intake of liquid, he gaped at the dog, who was now licking his face like they were long lost pals. "W-what the…" he barely managed to get those words out when a figure burst from the same trees the dog had just evacuated, clutching a stitch in his side and wheezing.

Jeff forgot to breath. He was sprawled out, practically being drowned by a four-legged house pet, dressed in nothing but his boxers, and there stood the most gorgeous boy he had ever laid eyes on. And not just any boy, but one he recognized from his high school.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes:** Special thanks to Melbi & Natters13 for their reviews and to everyone who was kind enough to favorite/ watch this story. It means a lot to me! :)

I do apologize for the small wait for this chapter - I made it a goal to _try_ to reach 2,000 words before posting, and that was more difficult than I had expected. I hope you guys enjoy it, and feedback is always appreciated!

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><p><strong>N<strong>ick couldn't process the sight before him. He'd ventured into these woods several times, made even more frequent once he got Pixel two years ago, but in all that time he had never seen a person in the woods. After all, it was private property that belonged to the Duvals and no one was even allowed access without his father's permission. But to be honest, those were all in the back of his mind, the forefront being occupied by the image of the nearly naked boy looking at him like he'd just kicked a bunny.

"I… I uh…" What was going on? Nick was _never_ lost for words, yet here he was… stuttering like a moron with his brain MIA.

He cleared his throat, standing properly upright after remembering he was hunched over from his mad dash to catch his calm-turned-psycho dog.

Pixel had been behaving as he usually did – playfully trotting along, barking at the occasional intruding squirrel, when out of nowhere he was lunging forward. Nick, having been distracted by what had _vaguely_ appeared to be a tent, hadn't had the strongest hold on the leash and therefore it was pulled effortlessly from his grip.

After that it had been a race to catch said dog, who was barking as if it was raining Bacon Strips, until he broke cover from the trees only to find what he was currently staring at.

His dog didn't seem at all phased by his owner's re-appearance. In fact, he was plainly ignoring Nick in favor of slobbering over the petrified boy. Which alone was odd, since Pixel was usually only friendly towards Nick (even his parents couldn't go near him without the dog growling and looking like he was about to pounce).

He should say something.

Yes, he definitely needed to say something.

Anything_._

Anything at all…

"Hi."

…_Really? Are you serious_ _right now, brain? That was the best you could do?_

If there wasn't a person watching him at the moment he would probably bang his head against the tree in retaliation.

"H-hi," the boy breathed, his arms trying to awkwardly get himself into a sitting position while attempting to hide himself simultaneously. Obviously that was going poorly with his demented dog pinning him down.

"Pixel!" The dog continued to pay him no mind. "I'm so sorry about that, he's not usually so forward with strangers," Nick remarked tentatively, slowly approaching where his dog was bombarding the stranger with doggy kisses. "He likes you."

Nick wrapped his hand around the end of the leash and tugged, Pixel grudgingly backing off from the boy only when he was on the verge of being strangled by the collar.

**-X-**

**J**eff suddenly understood how it must feel to be in a coma. His brain felt like mush, his body was refusing to cooperate, and he was struggling to bring air into his lungs.

Maybe he died. _Yes_, that made perfect sense.

He had tripped, maybe hit his head on a rock and then drowned in the stream, and now his mind was making up a scenario because this was heaven. No other way was it possible for _Nick Duval_, the boy he had been crushing on since 6th grade, to magically wind up at the exact location Jeff was during summer vacation.

He honestly would have believed that if not for the crazed dog trying to eat his face off. No, if this was heaven Nick would be the one with his tongue all over Jeff, not the golden retriever.

Nick was suddenly headed towards him, and Jeff could hear words being spoken but his mind was just not processing sounds right now. Before long the dog – Pixel, was it? – was being pulled away from him and Nick was standing less than a foot away, his free hand extended.

Taking in a shaky breath of air, he brought his hand up towards Nick's until their hands were clasped and he was being pulled into a standing position. Their eyes locked, and for a moment everything else was forgotten except those gorgeous brown eyes.

Realizing he'd been staring stupidly at Nick for longer than normal, he released his grasp on his hand. Pulled from his reverie, Jeff was immediately reminded that he was practically naked, and the thought had him leaping into action. He probably looked like a spaz as he dove towards the bank where his clothes were crumpled. He all but shoved his legs into the jeans before tearing the shirt down over his head. "I-It's not what it looks like," the words fell from his lips in a single rushed breath, his cheeks burning a bright red as he fought to zip his jeans.

He _had_ to explain. There was just no way Jeff could survive the embarrassment of telling Nick that he was living in the small forest without feeling utterly pitiful. "I'm just camping here for a little while, and… well, I um. I was… swimming!"

Oh yes. Swimming in a dinky river that barely met his knees and with bathroom products to boot. _Real believable, Jeff._

Nick had his hands up in surrender (well, as much as he could while restraining his demonic dog). "It's fine, really. I won't say anything to my father about it."

He paused in his fumbling with the damn zipper (_seriously, why won't it pull up?_) to stare at the brunette in bewilderment. "Your dad?" Jeff asked blankly, his eyebrows drawn together while his muddled mind tried to figure out what Mr. Duval had to do with anything.

Now it looked like Nick was thrown for a loop. "He owns this land. Isn't that why you're freaking out?"

Oh. Well that made sense.

**-X-**

**N**ick was gazing at the boy as he stumbled over an explanation, watching as Jeff struggled to yank the zipper up. He had to give himself credit for keeping his eyes trained on the blonde's face and not what his hands were doing, because that was most _definitely_ distracting.

Instead, he watched the boy's expressions carefully. It didn't take a genius to figure out he was hiding something; he was a very poor liar.

"I actually didn't know this was private property," The kid admitted sheepishly, running his spare hand through his disheveled hair. His face was practically an open book, and Nick watched as the emotions played across his face – surprise, uncertainty, guilt. Eventually his face settled on awkwardness.

"Gosh, I'm _so _sorry. I really didn't see a sign that would indicate that it wasn't public land… I'll just, um. I'll leave as soon as I can," he promised in an oddly deflated tone.

Nick simply rose an eyebrow. The boy was clearly flustered by this new information, and he looked genuinely worried. What exactly was up with this kid?

"How long are you camping for? I mean… you can probably stay for a while, if you wanted." Nick's mouth was moving before he'd even processed what was coming out of it.

His dad never went anywhere near the wooded area if he could help it, and Nick doubted that would change any time soon. Honestly, he didn't even see the point in his father having the property at all if it was only being used for appearance's sake.

The taller boy seemed caught off guard by the offer, his eyes widening ever-so-slightly in disbelief. "Are you sure? I don't want to be intruding."

Nick smiled, a small chuckle escaping his lips as he shook his mass of brown hair. "It's completely fine. Seriously, Pixel and I are the only two who ever come out here, so you aren't intruding in the least."

The previous look of anxiety seemed to dissolve from the blonde's features in the seconds that followed Nick's reply. His shoulders relaxed somewhat and he spared Nick a grateful smile. "Thanks, that would be really great."

Nick returned the smile, stepping forward to offer his hand a second time. "I'm Nick Duval," he introduced, his grip on the leash tightening when Pixel started to strain against his hold the nearer he got to the stranger.

**-X-**

**J**eff's smile faltered only a little as he shook Nick's hand. Of course Nick wouldn't know who he is. It's not as though they were particularly close to one another, but regardless Jeff couldn't help the sinking feeling in his heart.

They had shared several classes together, been partnered up on projects multiple times, and yet Nick hadn't bothered to do something as simple as learn his name. If that wasn't enough, Nick didn't even seem to recognize him at all.

It was that last thought that had Jeff refraining from saying he knew exactly who Nick was. "I'm Jeff Sterling," he replied instead, trying to keep the sharp edge from entering his voice.

_It's not his fault_, he told himself. _After all, there are a lot of students at Dalton. No one can memorize every unimportant name they hear._

Once their hands separated, Nick patted the dog fondly on his head (unaware that he had upset Jeff in the least). "And I'm sure you remember Pixel here," he said with a playful grin, the gesture earning a happy bark from the beast.

Jeff did his best not to flinch away at the sound. Dogs… Jeff really did_ not_ like dogs. It wasn't that he hated them, per say, but childhood memories left him less than thrilled whenever he was in one's presence.

He gave a forced laugh, nodding his head perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. "Yes, how could I forget? He's a… mh, very _friendly_ animal."

"Yes, that's one word for him," Nick replied in a light tone, his eyes drawn to Pixel as he began to roll on the ground and whine. Even Jeff couldn't stifle the laugh that invoked.

They both watched the dog in amusement, identical smiles on their faces as Pixel began to do some sort of wiggle across the earth. This dog was definitely much dopier then most dogs he was acquainted with.

Jeff wasn't aware of how long they spent simply observing Pixel, but after a while his attentions were pulled elsewhere as Nick began to inch closer. Suddenly it felt really _hot_, and oh god... his face looked even better up close; gleaming eyes, thick eyelashes, luscious lips…

"You um…" Nick didn't finish his sentence, and he really didn't need to. Nick's eyes were gazing unsurely at his own before flickering downward. Less than a second later Jeff felt a trace of movement below his waist followed by the '_zrrrrp_' of his zipper.

If it was possible for the world to just open up and devour him, now would be _**wonderful**._


End file.
